1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of incubation of viable eggs and larvae of fish, crustaceans and similar organisms.
2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
When traditional incubation methods are used, the fatality rate among eggs and larvae is high due to impact and other mechanical forces. This is a problem for both pelagic (freely-suspended)and demersal (seal bottom resident) fish eggs.
Certain types of larvae are extremely sensitive to mechanical forces. This is particularly the case for halibut, where the incubation of the larvae prior to the start of feeding seems to be a problem for the production of fry.
In some situations, traditional approaches necessitate keeping the salinity of the water at a high level to prevent the eggs and larvae from sinking to the bottom. From an energy perspective, it would have been more rational to incubate eggs or larvae at lower salinity levels, since these organisms will then use less energy for ion-control.
Another substantial problem with traditional incubation systems is that eggs/larvae are very exposed to fungal and bacterial infection.
A further difficulty with present systems is the maintenance of eggs/larvae during vaccination and gene transfer. This is a factor which makes such treatment difficult to implement on a commercial scale.